Day 1
After 5 ½ hours of sleep I cringed as my alarm clock started ringing at 6.30. I became caught up on my computer last night writing and before I knew it, it was 1am! Eeeeek, I have a huge day in clinic and need to feel sharp and snappy. I decided on a quick smoothie to make my morning easier so I assembled my ingredients, blended them and ran out the door. Here is my recipe for Day 1 of my Rio Life Acai challenge.
Ingredients
200ml oat milk (great alternative to cow or soy milk)
2 tablespoons sheep’s milk yoghurt (easier to digest that cow’s milk yoghurt)
1 teaspoon probiotics (boost my immunity)
1 tablespoon brown rice protein powder (stabilises blood sugar levels)
2 teaspoons Ultimate greens (chlorella, spirulina, barley grass – detoxifying)
½ cup frozen raspberries (antioxidant and who can resist a raspberry!)
1 tablespoon Acai powder
Blend well and throw into a SIGG travel mug and hit the road! It tastes delicious and I felt myself coming alive as I sipped it in the car and by the time I was at work I felt ready for my day!
RioLife Acai Challenge – Day 1
My Interview With RioLife…
After carefully researching RioLife Acai, I decided to give them a call and meet up with founding partner, Andrew Cameron. Here is my interview with him. I can’t wait to start my Acai Challenge!
How did you fall in love with Acai?
I first fell in love with Acai through my travels on the beaches of Rio De Janeiro where it is eaten religiously, local friends (carioca’s, as they call themselves) of mine said it was the best thing on the planet and after adjusting to its unique taste I simply couldn’t get enough of the stuff, eating it every day after a surf or a long day in the sun I just felt my body responding so well to this amazing fruit. You could see how the health and energy obtained from Acai blended so well with the Brazilian culture and seemed crazy that we didn’t eat this in Australia. It wasn’t until I got back to Australia in 2005 I realised all of the amazing health properties of this fruit, it’s no wonder I felt so good from eating it.
Teaming up with friends Andrew Maciver who discovered Acai in California and Jeremy Liddle who ran juice bars in Singapore we got together after travelling the world and RioLife evolved. We had seen the love for Acai in Brazil and also all over California where Oprah herself named it as the number 1 Superfood for antiageing back in 2004, it made complete sense to bring this great fruit into the diets of Australian’s. RioLife today is the most established Australian Acai brand in the country and merging with NuFruits in 2007 gave us great strength to the company. Nufruits specialising in all […]
The RioLife Acai 2 Week Challenge!
I have made the big decision to take the RioLife Acai Challenge. This involves consuming Acai, an Amazon berry, on a daily basis for 2 weeks straight! I come across Superfoods all the time and they receive so much marketing push that it takes a lot to impress me. I have seen so many fads come and go – many claiming to cure everything or be the next weight loss/Detox miracle.
So after some careful research I came across Rio Life. They ticked all my boxes – Australian company, sustainable farming methods, charity affiliation, extremely high antioxidant level and certified organic! Yay!
Follow my daily updates over the next two weeks…
Kale: A Powerful Cancer Preventative
When I think of kale, I visualise a powerful and strong cancer fighting food. Kale is one of the most important foods for cancer prevention and it belongs in the Cabbage family. Other members of this family include broccoli, Brussel sprouts, cauliflower and cabbage. The two most prominent health benefits of eating these foods are that they can help prevent cancer and they are highly anti -inflammatory.
Research shows women who eat kale reduce their susceptibility to cancer at a variety of organ sites but especially the breast. This is due to the active compound glucosinolate which is converted into cancer fighting isothiocyanates. The researchers concluded that foods high in these compounds should be part of a cancer protective diet.
Recent researchers have looked into the role of isothiocyanates and inflammation. It appears that dietary sources of these powerful health promoting compounds such as kale can modify and actively inhibit a key step in inflammatory conditions such as arthritis, obesity and heart disease.
Kale in particular is high in vitamin A, vitamin C and vitamin K. If you eat 100 grams of kale you will be loaded with twice the RDI for vitamin A, 2 ½ times the RDI for vitamin C and a huge 10 times the RDI for vitamin K. Remember that vitamins A and C are wonderful antioxidants and keep us looking fabulous both on the inside and outside. Now that is an incredibly therapeutic food! Kale is a perfect detox food as it is high in substances that strongly promote the breakdown of toxins within the liver.
Kale is available from the middle of winter to early spring and look to buy the smaller varieties as they have a sweeter flavour than the larger […]
Vegies From Under The Sea…
These interesting sea creatures are packed full of nutrients and minerals like iron, iodine, calcium, Vitamin A,B,C, manganese and magnesium. Sea Vegetables are great for your teeth, bones, hair, skin and nails and help to keep your thyroid in good health. Research has investigated the cholesterol lowering properties as well as positive effects on cancer prevention.
You may be thinking that they are going to taste like seaweed fresh from the sea but they really don’t have a strong taste especially once you add them to your food.
Different types of sea vegetables
Kombu: Looks like a long stick of seaweed and is highly alkaline. When added to water it becomes soft so add it to soups, brown rice and quinoa.
Nori: Sheets of nori is what is wrapped around nori rolls. You can use these sheets by adding your own ingredients to them and rolling up or otherwise tear the nori into strips and add to salads, rice dishes, vegies and soups.
Arame: This is a species of kelp and can also be added as a garnish to dishes or eaten on its on own with some tamari and ginger.
Wakame: Soak wakame in water before adding to salads or add it in the last couple of minutes to your cooking. Wakame has probably the strongest taste out of all the varieties above but super delicious!
Start experimenting with sea vegetables today!
The 6 Foods to Beat Inflammation
Who would have thought you could eat your pain away?? Consuming foods that have anti-inflammatory actions can noticeably reduce or prevent the inflammation you’re experiencing.
Inflammation is the body’s natural mechanism that is stimulated by our immune system to combat an injury to tissue or infection. Inflammation can present as heat, redness, pain and swelling and chronic inflammation can lead to chronic disease. Nourishing the body with foods that are rich in anti-inflammatory properties is a perfect way to keep your inflammation under control.
6 Powerful Anti-Inflammatory Foods.
Omega 3 Essential Fatty Acid: Powerful anti-inflammatory properties that can be found in cold-water oily fish (sardines, mackerel, tuna, salmon), flaxseeds, walnuts and pumpkin seeds.
Olive Oil: Another great source of an anti-inflammatory food is cold pressed extra virgin olive oil because it contains oleic acid. Research suggests that olive oil provides anti-inflammatory actions as well as antioxidant properties. Drizzle a little bit on your salad today!
Garlic: This is a staple add on to any meal. Fresh garlic is a powerful anti-inflammatory that contains compounds that inhibit inflammatory prostaglandins therefore helping to reduce inflammation!
Vitamin C: has also been shown to reduce inflammation, as a recent study at the University of California in Berkeley demonstrated. Researchers showed that Vitamin C can lower levels of C-reactive protein, a biomarker of inflammation that has been shown to be a powerful predictor of heart disease and diabetes. Vitamin C-rich foods include kiwi fruit, capsicum, tomatoes, broccoli, citrus fruits and berries.
Curcuma longa: Turmeric has been used for centuries as a medicinal tool in India and China to treat bruises, menstrual pain, flatulence and more. The pigment that is responsible for the yellow-orange colour, curcumin, has been shown to […]
Day 28 – Broccoli Sprouts, a Superfood that I LOVE!
I go to the organic markets each Saturday and buy fresh 3 day old broccoli sprouts. I love adding them to my salads and their taste is absolutely delicious. I am always hearing about the latest “super food” that cures everything from insomnia to cancer. The vast amount of research that I have read on broccoli sprouts is very compelling – I am convinced that the high levels of sulphoraphane are incredibly beneficial. So, go ahead and start adding this incredibly therapeutic food to your diet. This is the epitome of “food as medicine!”A new study suggests an easy way to reduce the risk of a bacteria associated with stomach cancer: eat broccoli sprouts. In a study conducted among 48 men and women from Japan, Johns Hopkins investigators found those who ate 70 grams of fresh broccoli sprouts a day significantly reduced the H. pylori in their stomachs.All of the participants tested positive for the bacteria. The researchers then randomized them to either 70 grams of broccoli sprouts per day or a similar amount of alfalfa sprouts. The subjects were retested for H. pylori at four and eight weeks. By the final follow up, the broccoli sprouts had done the trick. People who ate the alfalfa sprouts showed no change in the degree of infection.This study supports the emerging evidence that broccoli sprouts may be able to prevent cancer in humans, not just in lab animals, study author Jed Fahey, Sc.D., was quoted as saying.Broccoli sprouts are rich in Sulforaphane, a naturally occurring phytochemical that enhances the cancer-protective capacity of animal cells. According to studies by Dr. Paul Talalay and his colleagues at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, sulforaphane induces Phase 2 detoxification enzymes. […]
Day 26 – A Incredible Night out at Soul Sessions!
Last night I had the absolute pleasure of attending Soul Sessions which is an exclusive event hosted and created by Eloise King, journalist for Body & Soul. She invites 33 people to be a part of a small, intimate audience where the emphasis is on the sharing of knowledge, ingenuity and creativity. I have been a guest speaker at Soul Sessions and was amazed at the sharing, safe environment Eloise created. Since beginning in May 2010, Soul Sessions has moved to a very groovy venue of scented candles, great vino, amazing food by Jeevi the Laughing Chef and intimate round tables that are perfect for meeting new friends.Yesterday’s session was titled “Eat Your Heart Out” and featured the gorgeous Nici Andronicus from Organicus and rock star raw foodist, David Wolfe. The night was set to be spectacular with these two but it just exceeded all of my expectations!Nici and her husband Paul have a company called Organicus and are incredibly passionate about organic food. Their company makes organic food for many venues and they have recently opened the doors to their organic Manly cafe. They shared with me last night that they have had many requests to open another in the inner west and I certainly have my fingers crossed. Nici is a former pentathlete and triathlete (makes me hurt just contemplating that one!) but it was when Paul was diagnosed with a very rare cancer that things began to shift for them.After seeking treatment with Charlie Teo and then Harvard Medical School in Boston, Nici and Paul knew that to give it their best shot they needed to do more. So they embraced organic food with a passion and haven’t looked back since. […]
Mushrooms – The New Superfood!
Those innocuous mushrooms in your shopping basket could be the answer to your vitamin D deficiency! Expected revisions to the recommended daily intake of vitamin D, which are expected this summer, may do wonders for mushroom sales. “There’s a better understanding of importance of vitamin D in human health,” said Tara McHugh, a research leader at the USDA.At least 40% of Australians don’t get enough vitamin D, but others estimate it may be twice that number. In addition to aiding calcium absorption by the body, vitamin D may help numerous health conditions including osteoporosis, cancer, diabetes, hypertension, multiple sclerosis and even a reduction in overall mortality.Vitamin D, a fat soluble vitamin found in few foods, occurs naturally in fish oils and has been added as a supplement to milk since the 1930s to help combat rickets, a major health problem at the time. Humans also create it naturally when ultraviolet rays from the sun strike the skin. It’s our “sunshine” vitamin!While it has been known for years that mushrooms also can generate the vitamin, it wasn’t until a few years ago that people started thinking about its commercial viability. It was found that exposing mushrooms to a short burst ultra violet light produces a daily allotment of vitamin D in 120 grams of mushrooms without a negative impact on other nutritional benefits, appearance, taste or shelf life. In comparison, one cup of fortified milk provides about 30% of the recommended daily intake of vitamin D.So, add mushrooms into your diet for an added boost of vitamin D, an essential nutrient for optimal vitality! Read about my immune boosting soup that features the powerful Enoki mushrooms.PSHave you checked you vitamin D levels after our cold […]
Miso and Nettle Soup
I adore fresh nettle and have been lucky enough to get my hands on some organic varieties. Just remember to wear gloves as it can give you a mild rash or hives temporarily. Nettle is an incredibly powerful herb and I use it for pregnancy as it is so rich in nutrients. It’s also used for hay fever, dermatitis, arthritis and blood noses.I made some lovely nettle and goats cheese frittatas as my snack at work last week and this week I have made a quick soup. I am sipping on nettle tea as we speak as I didn’t want to waste the stalks. It is a deep green colour and tastes lovely.Ingredients1 litre water2 medium carrots, chopped1 medium onion, chopped1 leek, cut in 1 cm rings2 Tbs quinoa2 Tbs miso, dissolved in a bit of water4 Tbs nettle leaves finely choppedServings: 6The nettle tops should be harvested early in spring when they are still very small (about 5 cm). Only use the small unfolded top leaves.Put carrots, onion, leek and quinoa in water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for about 30 min until tapioca is clear and soup is slightly thickened. Stir from time to time to prevent the tapioca from burning. Add the miso and mix to dissolve. Add the chopped nettle leaves and only bring to boiling point. Don’t boil to preserve the vitamins. Serve the miso soup immediately
